Review by New York Times Review
Charles and his friend Boggan - a cute red toboggan whose rope handle gives him a rather convincing smiling face - take a jaunt through snowy woods to find a "wish tree," though Charles's siblings insist there's no such thing. This ingeniously nondenominational tale brings a lovely serene pace to classic holiday themes like giving to others and gathering with dear ones. Perhaps most magical is Turnham's art, which somehow makes soft mauves, pinks and grays take on a holiday sparkle. THE GREAT SPRUCE By John Duvall. Illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon. 40 pp. Putnam. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) Why do we chop down Christmas trees, anyway? Duvall is out to persuade readers to try a live tree. Alec loves climbing the tall spruce his grandpa planted, but a crew wants it for a city's holiday display. The boy suggests they "borrow" it, digging it up and replanting it later. He and Grandpa get rides on a barge with the tree and seats at the celebration, a sweet outcome for an act that's its own reward. Gibbon's loose art is just right, making the winter world look teeming, twinkling and homey. A HAT FOR MRS. GOLDMAN: A Story About Knitting and Love By Michelle Edwards. Illustrated by G. Brian Karas. 32 pp. Schwartz & Wade. $17.99. (Picture book; ages 4 to 8) "Keeping keppies warm is our mitzvah," Mrs. Goldman tells her young neighbor. They make hats together: The older lady knits, Sophia does the pom-poms. But when she sees Mrs. Goldman without a hat - she gave hers away - Sophia decides to learn to knit. Edwards's ("Chicken Man") story is not explicitly about the holiday, but a Hanukkah message emanates from the celebration of winter mitzvahs, or kind deeds. Karas's ("As an Oak Tree Grows") adorable, radiant art adds to the heartwarming mood. THE CHRISTMAS BOOT By Lisa Wheeler. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, 32 pp. Dial. $17.99 (Picture book ages 4 to 8) A poor old woman named Hannah lives alone in a cabin in the woods. She finds a warm boot in the snow - just one - in this folksy fable about deprivation, abundance and the spirit of Christmas. Another boot appears, then mittens, and her cabin becomes "a big fancy house." But it's not right for her. A visitor comes - kids will happily guess who - to claim the boot but leave what Hannah really needs. As always, Pinkney's soft, colorful watercolors find deep beauty and interest in simple things. SUN MOON STAR By Kurt Vonnegut. Illustrated by Ivan Chermayeff. 64 pp. Seven Stories/Triangle Square. $22.95. (Picture book; ages 5 and up) Vonnegut's beguiling children's book, first published in 1980, spins the Nativity tale in a cerebral, humanist direction. "When the Creator of the Universe /. . . resolved to be born / as a male human infant," the situation is much like any baby's birth: An awed crowd materializes, the tiny one struggles to see. Yet it's also a celestial event, with the players angling to see the "real Christmas star" - playfully presented in the great designer Chermayeff's shifting, minimalist cutouts against jewel tones. ONLINE An expanded visual presentation of this week's column at nytimes.com/books.
Copyright (c) The New York Times Company [December 11, 2016]
Review by Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Sophie lives next door to passionate knitter Mrs. Goldman, who makes hats for tiny babies, older folks, friends, and family and Sophie. Mrs. Goldman has taught Sophie how to knit, too, so she can make hats to give away as a good deed. Keeping keppies warm is our mitzvah. But knitting is hard, so Sophie sticks to her favorite part of the process, making pom-poms as hat toppers. When Sophie notices that Mrs. Goldman has no hat and learns she's given it away, she picks up her needles again to make sure that Mrs. Goldman can keep her own keppie warm. She's tempted to quit, but after heading out into whipping winds with the hatless Mrs. Goldman, she chooses to keep trying. Finally, the hat is finished, but as Sophie turns it over and sees its many holes, she doesn't know if it's worth giving, until she comes up with a pom-pom-infused idea. Though the weather outside is cold, this story overflows with warmth. Sympathy, empathy, and love all wind together in a text featuring a determined young heroine and in thoughtful mixed-media art. One page is full of images of Sophie at work, another a blurry scene in the snow; both set the mood. A lovely book to share and discuss, and the hat pattern is included!--Cooper, Ilene Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Sophia notices that Mrs. Goldman knits hats for everyone in the neighborhood and never thinks of herself. "Where's your hat?" Sophia asks when they're out on an icy day walking Mrs. Goldman's dog. "I gave it to Mrs. Chen," the woman replies. Sophia prefers making the pom-poms that adorn Mrs. Goldman's hats to knitting anything herself, but she decides to make Mrs. Goldman "the most special hat in the world." In a series of captivating spot illustrations, Karas (Make Way for Readers) shows Sophia hard at work, her dot eyes intently focused on the yarn. But Sophia's knitting leaves much to be desired. Can this token of love be saved? It's a supremely lovely story, a tribute to the rewards of grit and selflessness; Edwards's (Max Makes a Cake) unadorned, emotionally genuine text is as winning as the pictures. Readers will be able to add two words from Jewish culture to their vocabularies-keppie and mitzvah-and there's one more word that fits both Sophia and Mrs. Goldman to a tee: mensch. Ages 4-8. Author's agent: Lori Kilkelly, Rodeen Literary Management. Illustrator's agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-Mrs. Goldman is a knitter, and she uses her talents to show love and affection for everyone in her neighborhood by making them all hats. Sophia receives her first hat from Mrs. Goldman when she is a tiny baby, and she grows up to spend time helping Mrs. Goldman add the finishing touches to her knitted hats by making pom-poms. During a cold prewinter walk, Sophia notices that Mrs. Goldman's head is bare because she spends all of her time knitting for others. Sophia makes it her mitzvah (good deed, as Mrs. Goldman taught her) to use her limited knitting skills to make Mrs. Goldman a hat. Sophia works hard but finds that her finished product has a few holes in it. Feeling discouraged for a moment, the child remembers Mrs. Goldman's praise of her pom-poms, and she adds red pom-poms to any areas that are bare; Mrs. Goldman is delighted. Mixed-media illustrations showcase the research the illustrator put into learning how to knit to faithfully execute the artwork. Soft lines and muted color choices give the illustrations a look that perfectly complements the art form. Back matter includes a pattern for making a knitted hat and instructions for making pom-poms. The hat pattern does require adult assistance and a basic working knowledge of knitting, though the pom-poms could easily be accomplished by a novice. VERDICT This heartwarming offering achieves its emotional impact through the loving actions of its main characters and makes for a great read-aloud whether shared one-on-one or with a group in storytime.-Samantha Lumetta, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Elderly Mrs. Goldman and her young next-door neighbor Sophia are a winning pair of friends. Mrs. Goldman loves to make little hats for all the little keppies (heads) of the babies in their neighborhood, and Sophia embellishes each of the hats with pom-poms. Its their mitzvah, or good deed (as defined in the text). But Mrs. Goldmans mitzvahs go beyond baby hats: she knits dog-sweaters, plus mittens, scarves, and hats for big kids and adults, too. One cold, windy day, Sophia wonders where Mrs. Goldmans own hat is (I gave it to Mrs. Chen, she explains). Mrs. Goldmans keppie must be cold, worries Sophia, and she decides to knit a hat for her friend. There are bumps along the way (and on the hat!), but through perseverance and creativity Sophia is able to present Mrs. Goldman with a thing of beauty and love. Karass precise, unfussy mixed-media illustrations in muted hues enhance Edwardss ode to intergenerational friendship. Pom-pom shapes adorn many pages: as the background for Mrs. Goldman holding a newborn Sophia, as text boxes, and as endpapers. (The opening endpapers show knitted stitches with many mistakes, and the closing ones show all of the errors now filled with pom-poms.) Any child would be lucky to have a next-door grandmother stand-in like Mrs. Goldman. robin smith (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
